In the Words of the Bard
by Biana Delacroix
Summary: Because some words are timeless and so is their love. A series of Klaroline oneshots inspired by the sonnets of William Shakespeare.
1. When In Disgrace

**Author's Note: Happy September! For all of you going back to school, I hope you've had a good first week so far. This series is a little experiment of mine, I love Shakespeare, I love the sonnets, and I was hoping to see if I could merge my lit geek with my shipper. So this is the first of what will hopefully be a series of Klaroline oneshots insipired by each of the sonnets.**

**This oneshot is based off Sonnet 29, and takes place in some AU verse where Hayley never got knocked up.**

**Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries belong to Warner Brothers and Sonnet 29 was written by William Shakespeare.**

* * *

_When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,_

_I all alone beweep my outcast state_

_And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries_

_And look upon myself and curse my fate,_

_Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,_

_Featured like him, like him with friends possess'd,_

_Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,_

_With what I most enjoy contented least;_

He wanted more.

That was the simple fact of his life. It was nothing new (though one might already consider him quite wealthy in every way), for a thousand years he had yearned for some goal, some far off point where he told himself he would be perfectly happy. But that point never remained fixed, it kept moving. As a human, he craved the approval of his father. As a vampire, he craved the power that would enable him to never feel weak again. And as the nightmare of the supernatural world, he craved an army that would do his bidding, loyal comrades that would never leave him.

Approval, power, army. It all culminated in one thing – he wanted a kingdom.

The kitchen was swathed in the warm glow of the early morning as Klaus leant against the counter, looking out the large bay window into the quiet streets of New Orleans. The city he had helped build from the ground up, the city _he _should have every claim to, and yet, _Marcel _considered himself king. It was sickening. He was the rightful ruler; the throne should have been his for the taking.

And why shouldn't he aspire to such heights? It was unfair, really. The only reason Klaus had ever left New Orleans was because of Mikael, now that the bastard was dead, he should have been able to come back to his city and claim it without fuss. And yet, he met the resistance of Marcel's lackeys, the witches he had under his thumb, and for once, he had to admit he was outgunned. Outgunned, but not defeated, though. He would achieve his goal, one way or another.

"Isn't it a little early in the morning to brood?"

A smile spread across his face at the sound to the melodious voice. Turning around, he was met with the sight of Caroline bouncing into the kitchen, a bright smile on her face. He let his gaze run appreciatively up and down her figure; she wore one of his shirts, leaving her long legs bare. A brief pang of guilt flashed through him at leaving her all alone in bed, but his mind was occupied with thoughts of war and he couldn't lie still, despite the entrancing woman next to him.

Caroline stood in front of him, raising herself up on her tiptoes to press an affectionate kiss to his cheek. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her closer to press his lips to hers, giving her a proper kiss good morning.

"Hmm," she hummed happily as she pulled away, her eyes remaining closed. "Not that I don't love when you make me breakfast, but we could've stayed in bed a little longer," she said coyly, her hands wandering to the hem of his shirt, gently exploring the skin of his back. He grinned, leaning his forehead against hers.

"Sorry love, I got a bit restless."

"What's wrong?" she asked, catching on to his antsy disposition.

"Marcel, as usual. I was strategizing. This situation with him has gone on for far too long, I had hoped to put an end to it by now and have New Orleans under my thumb."

Caroline pulled away slightly, a small pout forming on her lips. "Does it always have to be world domination with you?" she asked, her voice slightly resentful.

Klaus reached up to tuck a stray golden curl behind her ear, his thumb rubbing the soft skin of her cheek. "It's hardly the world, Caroline, just one city."

"I know, I know," she said with a small huff. "I just wish I didn't have to compete with _Marcel _for your attention…especially when we're in bed."

Klaus grimaced. "Sweetheart, it's not a competition; it's just something I have to do. New Orleans is _mine, _I _deserve _to be king."

Caroline looked up at him skeptically and for a moment it seemed as if she was working up the courage to say something contradictory, but at the last moment, she shook her head as if deciding better.

"Alright fine, but how about we skip the tyrant act just for today? Let's go somewhere, spend the day together. We can go for a picnic!" Her face lit up at the thought and Klaus chuckled inwardly, simply raising an eyebrow.

"A picnic? Now what would that do for my reputation?"

"Right, no picnics for the evil hybrid," she said, rolling her eyes. "But we should still spend the day together!"

Klaus contemplated her offer, torn. On one hand, a day with Caroline was something he had once fantasized about, but now...there were still other issues to be dealt with.

Caroline's face fell; she could see the hesitation playing out on his face. "I guess that's a 'no' then?" she asked quietly, and Klaus could hear the undercurrent of bitterness in her voice.

"Don't you have a lecture today, sweetheart?" he asked, trying to diffuse the tension that had sprouted up.

"My prof emailed us, it's been cancelled. Thought I'd take the day to relax and I _was _hoping you'd join me…"

"Sorry love, no rest for the wicked," Klaus replied, his most charming smirk aimed her way. It usually earned a grin, but this time she just pulled away, looking dejected.

"Caroline…" he started, but trailed off, unsure what to say. He needed to turn his attention to his city, it was disgraceful that his fortunes were not better, and he had to establish control. He thought she understood that.

She waved off his concern and smiled at him, but he could see it didn't reach her eyes. "Whatever," she said lightly, and he winced slightly at hearing the tone of voice she reserved for when she was forcing cheer. "I'll just take a walk around the Quarter, I'll see you later."

He opened his mouth to call her back, but again he hesitated and she was already gone.

* * *

If looks could kill, Marcel would be a dead man in the ground by now. Klaus nursed his glass of bourbon; surreptitiously glancing up at the small party in the bar's back corner. Marcel sat flanked by his 'inner circle', all laughing and clanking their glasses together, despite the early afternoon hour. No doubt they would be in even higher spirits later that night, when the rest of the Quarter's vampires came out to play.

Klaus seethed as he watched the obvious display. Marcel meant to prove to him that he had the numbers to take out the hybrid, that he had _friends, comrades, _those who would loyally stand by his side.

He wanted that. So badly.

God, he actually _envied_ Marcel, how pathetic was that? He, the one who had made Marcel what he was, now envied him.

_'How the tables have turned.'_

"Where's Caroline today?"

Klaus was jerked up from his reverie by Camille's voice; the bartender was wiping down the countertop close by, looking him over curiously.

(She was a little too curious in his opinion, a dangerous thing to be for a human. It was her curiosity that had earned her the answers about New Orleans' supernatural community, and to her credit, she took most of it in stride.)

"Caroline's just doing some sightseeing, relaxing for the day," said Klaus brusquely finding the guilt bubbling up again when he thought about the beautiful blonde. She had called him a little earlier but he had let it go to voicemail and hadn't listened to her message yet.

If anyone had asked, he would never have been able to admit it, but he was a little scared. Scared that he wouldn't be able to balance his two greatest desires, to have Caroline by his side and to have a kingdom of his own. Ideally the two goals would go hand in hand, but until the day that both were permanent fixtures in his life, he was in a precarious position. Caroline had only come to him recently, he constantly feared that she might leave on a dime. And it had become evident that New Orleans wasn't going to fall in his lap, his movements required careful planning.

"So why aren't you showing her around? Don't you know this city better than anyone?" Camille continued to question him and he took a deep breath, not particularly wanting to rip the girl's throat out just because he was having a bad day.

"We just had different plans for the day is all," he said through gritted teeth, shooting another glance at Marcel. Camille followed his gaze and they watched as the assembled vampires laughed loudly at something their leader had said, and Klaus' expression turned even dourer. It did no good to sit here and stare at them, feeling sorry for himself, but some masochistic part of him wanted to watch what he didn't have. He quickly downed the rest of his drink and slammed the glass down on the table, causing Camille to jump slightly, but she took the hint and pulled out the bourbon from under the counter.

"You might as well just leave the bottle," said Klaus darkly, and Camille did as he asked, but hesitated just before she walked away.

"So, about this whole power play thing…can I ask a question?"

Klaus rolled his eyes (did the girl ever hold back her inquisitive nature?) but made no movement to discourage her so she went ahead.

"I've heard you're way older than Marcel is – he actually told me you're like a thousand years old – so why don't you already have the whole 'army' thing going on?"

Klaus eyed her, and he smirked at seeing fear creep into her expression but he decided to deign her with an answer. "I had an army once, you know. Not too long ago in fact, more hybrids, like me."

"What happened to them?"

Klaus' hand clenched as he remembered the feeling of his hybrids' hearts in his hands, their blood spilling on the cold ground of the woods where he massacred them. "It's complicated."

His terse tone didn't dissuade Camille from getting in one more comment, although her voice was noticeably more subdued. "I guess it must've been nice to be like that though," she said, inclining her head towards Marcel's friends again.

Klaus contemplated what she had said. In the time that he had had a small legion of hybrids, had they ever laughed together, enjoyed one another's company? They were loyal, no doubt – they had to be. But then, that loyalty wasn't entirely genuine…

_"Who do you have besides those whose loyalty you've forced?"_

His father's words almost cause him to growl right then and there, but he just barely managed to contain his anger. The rage on his face finally sent the hint to the foolish bartender and she scurried away, leaving Klaus to his solitude so that he could properly wallow in his circumstances. This was interrupted though, by the chirp of his phone, alerting him to the message he had yet to listen to. Caroline's message.

Weighing his phone in his hand for a moment, he lifted it to his ear to listen to what she had said.

_"Hey Klaus, um, I'm not sure why I'm calling, just seeing how you are I guess. I'm just walking around the French Quarter, I took this tour earlier that was all about how haunted this place is, and I don't think the tour guide knew the first thing about actual ghosts but it was a really cool tour anyway– oh God, I'm rambling right? I just…I guess I miss you. I wish you were here to tell me more stories about his place but –sorry I'm being weird, right? I'll just see you later tonight. Bye Nik._

He stared at the phone for a good five minutes after her message ended. Then he listened to it again. And again. And twice more for good measure. It was only after he realized Camille was giving him a funny look that he became conscious of the wide smile on his face.

Whenever he had envisioned an army, he had to admit he never imagined having someone like Caroline on his side. Granted, he saw her as less of a soldier and more of a queen, his equal, but for a thousand years he had strived to find a way to bend others to his will, he was still unfamiliar with how to go about _earning_ loyalty from somebody. But was he was willing to put in the work when it came to her?

_Yes. Of course._

She was worth it, completely.

Glancing once more at Marcel, the sight didn't nauseate him as much as it had just ten minutes earlier. Where Marcel was surrounded by lackeys, Klaus wondered if the vampire would ever have someone like Caroline by his side, and once more he found himself scorning his former protégé.

Just then, Marcel looked up and glared at Klaus with narrowed eyes, no doubt suspicious of the smile the hybrid wore. Klaus raised the bottle of bourbon in the vampire's direction, the mock salute conveying all the contempt he felt and without a word, he hopped of the stool and made his way into the street.

* * *

"I know you're standing behind me, Klaus, it's creepy."

Klaus chuckled but made no move to stop his observation of her. Around them, busy tourists rushed through Jackson Square but Caroline stayed still, admiring the cathedral and snapping pictures of the surrounding park. She was so vibrant, so full of life; he would never tire of seeing her eyes light up. The guilt bubbled up once more upon realizing that he hadn't been around her to see that light in the recent weeks.

_'Time to make amends'_

"Why don't we take a walk, love?" he asked charmingly, hoping to appease her frosty attitude.

Caroline glanced over her shoulder, looking him once over skeptically. He hoped he looked contrite, hands clasped behind his back, head bowed while he stared up at her with an apologetic gaze. She pressed her lips into a hard line and Klaus could tell she was struggling with remaining irritated or seeing what he had to say, so he pled his case further.

"Please love, let's have a chat? I thought you were missing me earlier?"

She huffed, spinning around to face him fully, her hands on her hips. "Yeah, I missed you. Then I remembered why you weren't there, why you've been around less and less for the past few weeks, and then I got angry!"

He didn't want to risk angering her further, so he kept his distance, though his hands itched to reach out and pull her into his embrace.

"Caroline, come with me, allow me to acquit myself."

In spite of herself, her lips tugged up at the old line, and he smirked. She walked closer and he allowed himself to reach for her hand, squeezing it tightly. Together, they made their way through the park. Both remained in silence while Klaus picked out the exact words that would fix his mistake.

"So, I've been thinking…" he started, licking his lips. "I've been thinking about us –"

He stopped abruptly as Caroline stopped in her tracks and ripped her hand away from his. He faced her and was startled to suddenly see her looking up at him in fury.

"Go ahead, say it," she spat, with a lot more vitriol than he had expected. "Say it and get it over with, say that your _kingdom _is more important, say that we're just not going to work out despite the fact that _you _were the one who practically stalked me but obviously that doesn't matter because as soon as you had me I wasn't impor –"

Her enraged rant was suddenly interrupted as she found her mouth otherwise occupied with Klaus' lips. He cupped her face and moved his mouth against hers frantically, desperately trying to convey every inch of desire and regret he felt. He sighed in relief as she parted her own lips, inviting him in and wrapped her arms around his neck. After a few more moments, they remembered they were in a very public place and pulled apart, both breathless.

Caroline looked up at him, confused. "So – you weren't going to…"

"I'm not giving you up, Caroline, not after everything," Klaus said, his voice low and serious. "Do you seriously think after I've had a taste of what being with you is like, I can seriously let you go?"

Caroline sighed quietly and moved to pull away, but he kept his grip on her waist tight and she had nowhere to go. "Look, I know you haven't exactly said anything like that…but every time you say something about taking down Marcel or building an army, I wonder if that's all I'm ever going to hear, 'rule this', 'take over that' – I didn't come to New Orleans to be second choice. Not again."

Her voice was strong, determined, but on the last two words he could see the vulnerable young girl she still was underneath the strong façade. And he wondered if that wasn't why they were perfect for each other in his mind – underneath it all, they both yearned to be loved and put first.

"You mean the world to me Caroline – and I'm not good at showing it, but it's true. Ruling a kingdom with all the soldiers in the world will mean nothing if I don't have you by my side as queen."

"Queen, huh?" she asked, a small smile on her face. "I guess I can go with that. But I meant what I said this morning, Nik, I hate having to compete with Marcel!"

He chuckled lowly, leaning down to peck her lips. "Sweetheart, it's no competition. _Trust me."_

She remained quiet for a moment, and Klaus waited anxiously for her verdict, but at least she made no move to leave again.

"You're right," she said, "you are terrible at showing it – but I get it, you do care. And I mean, I don't _want _to be clingy or neurotic, but I also don't want to end up leaving so – "

"Are you planning on leaving, then?" he interrupted, a low growl building in his chest.

Instead of cowering (as most would have) or scoffing (as she usually would have) she just laughed at him. "You've_ got_ to let up on that," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere; I'm telling you the truth. I don't _want _to end up in that place – just promise me we'll try to work through this?"

Klaus ducked his head, his mind a jumbled mess. "I can't promise I'll give it up, Caroline. I want New Orleans back. I _need_ it."

"I get it – and I want to help you. But…I guess I just want balance. Can we do balance?"

To answer her, he dipped in and kissed her once more, slowly and sweetly so that she knew just how much truth was behind his promise. "We can do balance," he whispered softly as he pulled away again. She beamed up at him and he cursed himself once more for not being around to seeing that bright smile more often.

"Now, I know I've wasted the day, but how about we spend the evening together, have dinner at this lovely Italian restaurant I know?" Taking her arm, they continued down the street.

"Which one are you thinking of?"

"The one at the corner of the Via Principe Aemedo and Piazza Manfredo Fanti," he said, the Italian rolling of his tongue smoothly.

"But I don't know those streets, they're not in New Orleans…" she said, puzzled.

Klaus' smirk grew. "No, they're in Rome."

She stopped again, but this time she was grinning, delighted. "We're having dinner in Rome?"

"Dinner in Rome, dessert in Paris – the world's at our feet sweetheart."

She squealed happily, throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug. "What about building your army here?"

"I think I can take the weekend off. Let Marcel have his army here – I have you."

_Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,_

_Haply I think on thee, and then my state,_

_Like to the lark at break of day arising_

_From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;_

_For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings_

_That then I scorn to change my state with kings._

* * *

**So there's that! Thoughts? Love it, hate it? Let me know, I'm not entirely sure how many of these I'll write, ideally I'd like to add one about every week or so, in between classes and the other fic I'm plotting. If any of you happen to be Shakespeare fans as well and have a sonnet in particular you really like, let me know! I definitely haven't read all of them and I'll gladly take the inspiration!**

**So again, leave a review and thanks for reading!**

**(Feel free to follow me on tumblr at hummingbirds-and-champagne)**


	2. Let Me Confess

**Author's Note: There was a time when I thought I could write of these every week. That was a happy time. Anyway, I hope you guys like this one, thank you so, so much for your lovely reviews and alerts on the first sonnet drabble. I've interpreted this one a little loosely, mostly because I came up with the concept before actually choosing the sonnet to go with it, but I think it worked out fairly well at the end. (At least, I hope!) Anyways, read on!**

**Disclaimer: Nope, not mine, or Klaus would've done a lot more than just say Caroline's name on TO last night. **

* * *

_Let me confess that we two must be twain,__  
Although our undivided loves are one:__  
So shall those blots that do with me remain__  
Without thy help by me be borne alone.__  
In our two loves there is but one respect,__  
Though in our lives a separable spite,__  
Which though it alter not love's sole effect,  
Yet doth it steal sweet hours from love's delight._

Truth be told, Klaus had missed celebrating victory. He had endured enough time being forced to watch Marcel parade himself around _his _city as some charlatan king, but finally, _finally_, after two years the long war was good and done. Through magic and force Marcel had been soundly defeated and his most loyal followers with him. Klaus had claimed his victory and with it, his rightful crown. Now was the time to revel in his victory, a time for his family and allies to celebrate.

In the living room of their family's mansion, Elijah sat in conversation with Rebekah, while near the window stood Hayley with Camille, the wolf reveling in her ability to consume alcohol again. For a moment Klaus' thoughts lingered on the unborn child Marcel had gleefully taken from him, but he shook it off. Some things were never meant to be, and to be honest, this was a development he could live with. His brother had been so convinced the child would have redeemed him, brought him some measure of humanity, but then, would he have achieved his current success? After all, rage was a powerful motivator.

He pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind, turning towards the future and what it held for his kingdom. He had everything he wanted, surely – but something was missing. And in the back of his mind he knew _exactly_ what was missing, but he didn't dare think about it – about _her – _because if he did, then he was setting himself up for another challenge, one he wasn't sure he could win.

The entirety of his fight with Marcel had been spent thinking of ways to regain his kingdom and plotting revenge; it hardly gave him much time to cast his thoughts towards the young blonde he had once promised to show the world. In all honesty, he felt a pang of guilt whenever he dwelt on Caroline, wondering if he hadn't completely missed his chance with her by waiting so long. To say nothing of the atrocities he had committed and the blood on his hands – the fight for New Orleans was his to bear, he never could have brought Caroline into that.

Just then, the five were interrupted by the door opening and light footsteps coming closer. They braced themselves, wondering if one of Marcel's lackeys was foolish enough to seek some sort of suicidal retribution, but they relaxed upon seeing Sophie Devereux step into the room. Klaus realized he had completely forgotten to check on the witch's welfare; when she had agreed to channel her powers to cast the spell that would render Marcel's and his allies' daylight rings useless, they knew Marcel had sent his own forces to track Sophie and stop her. Still, when the vampires who challenged the Original family fell to the first rays of the sun in heaps of ash, they knew the spell had worked and Sophie had done her job.

"Join us for a drink?" Elijah asked the witch cordially. She nodded tersely; taking the tumbler from Elijah's outstretched hand and downing it instantly. She was on edge, Klaus realized.

"You can relax – you did well," he said, feeling generous enough to compliment her despite the problems she had caused in the past.

"It was lucky no one found you," said Elijah, "things really went off without a hitch."

Sophie frowned into her empty glass. "See, there's the thing – they _did _find me. A small group of Marcel's men, they found my spot in the bayou and were ready to kill me – I wouldn't have been able to hold them off myself."

"So what happened?" asked Klaus, suddenly on alert.

Sophie took a seat, leaning forward and bracing her hands on her knees. "She came out of nowhere, this vampire I'd never seen around before. She didn't say anything, just starting fighting and managed to hold off Marcel's men until I completed the spell right before the sun came out."

"She just showed up and saved your life?" asked Camille from where she'd been listening in. "She sounds like some sort of guardian angel."

"Who was she?" asked Rebekah.

"That's the weirdest part," said Sophie. "She absolutely refused to tell me who she was; she wouldn't even give me her name."

"Well I'm sufficiently intrigued," said Elijah, leaning forward slightly. "Niklaus, do you have any idea who this mystery benefactress might have been?"

"Not a clue," his brother replied honestly. He didn't know that there were many people out there willing to do him favours, especially such a dangerous one, but his curiosity was officially piqued. "What was she like?"

"She was blonde, nice enough. She didn't want to tell me who she was at all, but…"she stared Klaus straight in the eyes, "she had a message for you."

"Oh?" The hybrid prepared himself for a short speech on debt, or owing favours.

Sophie took a moment before she recalled the girl's exact words. "The message was…. 'you were right about champagne'. She said, _'Tell Klaus, 'he was right, champagne is our thing', and he'll know.' _ Does that mean anything to you?"

The occupants turned towards Klaus expecting some form of answer, but the hybrid was speechless. The words meant something, alright. They meant _everything. _"Did she say _anything _else?" he asked hoarsely.

Sophie nodded, "Right before she left, I asked her where she was going. And she gave this funny little smile and said she was going to the Hermitage – there was a painting she needed to find."

He wasn't aware of the conscious decisions he was making, all he knew was that this was the opportunity he couldn't waste. His siblings were trying to get his attention but he steadfastly ignored him, focusing instead on the daydream that had cropped up in his mind. He could see it so clearly, the tilt of her lips as she gave her message, her Mona Lisa smile knowing with complete conviction that he would understand her words. He could imagine the glint of dawn's rays in her hair as she turned away, flashing off to see the world. Before he knew it, he was on his feet.

"It was her, wasn't it?" asked Rebekah, looking exasperated, wary and intrigued all at once. "It was Caroline."

He nodded quickly. "I'm going to Russia," he said determinedly and moved to stride away only to be stopped by his older brother's hand on his shoulder.

"You've have just won your kingdom, Niklaus," he said in disbelief. "You're already going to leave after finally becoming king?"

"I'll be back soon enough," Klaus replied with finality. "And when I do, it'll be with a _queen _by my side."

* * *

Klaus' footsteps reverberated off the tiled floors as he strode authoritatively through the large hallways of the Hermitage. Priceless works of art adorned the walls, telling the tales of empires long gone and kings long dead and as he passed them he wondered what it would be like to show Caroline this beauty. He would hold her close by his side, lean down to whisper in her ear, tell her the stories of the world's history and she would be absolutely enthralled…

His first order of business, however, was actually finding Caroline. She had made no effort to contact him, let him know why she had done what she'd done, or how she had even known what was going on. He didn't even know where to start looking for her – St. Petersburg was huge, and there was no telling how long she had stayed. All he knew was that she had gone to find his painting, and as he rounded the corner into the hall where it was hung, it occurred to him that she might be standing there waiting for him.

She wasn't, of course. No Caroline –and no painting, either. Perplexed, he found the nearest docent, compelling the young man to tell him what happened to the painting.

"It was taken by a young woman last night," he explained, glassy eyed. Klaus stepped back, confused at what the bubbly blonde was playing at before the docent spoke again.

"Are you Klaus Mikaelson?" he asked.

Klaus nodded and the docent pulled out an envelope from his jacket. "She told us to give this to Klaus Mikaelson when he asked about the painting."

Klaus snatched the envelope from the boy and tore it open, finding only a scrap of paper with a short message.

'_The painting was beautiful, but Russia's a little too cold. I've heard the Coliseum looks beautiful at night.'_

Grinning, Klaus made his way out of the museum, hailing a cab to take him to the airport.

'_Time to see Rome'_

* * *

The tourists brushed by him in droves as he stood at the entrance to Rome's most well-known landmark. Klaus did his best to keep his frustration in check, but no matter which direction he looked, there was no sign of Caroline was to be found. He wasn't sure what her plan was, if she was waiting for him to find her, or intentionally leading him on a wild goose chase – but he refused to give up hope.

The Coliseum was proving fruitless, so he turned on his heel and walked down the street, passing a grizzled old man who sat in front of an easel, sketching the tourists as they posed. He had some of his past portraits displayed and Klaus barely glanced at the board before stopping dead in his tracks. Right in the center was a fresh painting of a young blonde woman with a vibrant smile and bright eyes. Klaus felt his mouth go dry as he inched closer – it was definitely _her. _

"She is beautiful, no?" The old man had noticed Klaus fixated on the portrait and gave him a knowing smile. "You are Klaus?"

"You were expecting me?" asked Klaus quickly.

"She said you would come, she said to expect you. And to tell you – she was not staying long. She wanted to see the view from the Eiffel Tower." The artist smiled to himself before returning to his painting and Klaus was ready to flash off before the he was called back.

"When you find her, bring her back. I shall draw the two of you together."

Klaus found himself smiling as he gave the old man a quick nod, before setting off through the busy streets.

* * *

The metal railing was cold under his hands as he gripped it tightly. It threatened to snap under his strength, but he refused to let up, scanning the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower with his keen eyesight, zeroing in on every blonde head of hair he came across. Again, he had shown up to find no Caroline, and no indication that she was anywhere in the city.

He searched for some sign of her presence, but could find nothing. All that Klaus could do was let his frustration build and contemplate snapping some of the tourists' necks before he was brought out of his musings by a soft voice.

"Une rose, monsieur?"

Klaus spun on his heel to find a woman holding a basket of roses, holding one out to him. He was ready to berate the woman soundly before he noticed the small piece of paper that was wrapped around the stem. Heart racing, he took the flower and the woman gave him a knowing smile before walking away. Klaus unwrapped the small piece of paper, recognizing familiar writing.

'_Paris is beautiful, but it's no fun alone. I think I need some peace and quiet – the gardens in Tokyo are supposed to be beautiful. See you soon Klaus.' _

* * *

The world was quiet in the East Garden of Tokyo's Imperial Palace. Spring weather had brought with it the bloom of the cherry blossom trees; soft pink petals were being swirled around by the wind, settling on every surface. Although the skyscrapers of the city loomed over them, the garden itself was an oasis in the bustling metropolis, managing to remain peaceful despite the bustle outside its walls. Klaus almost wanted to take a moment to appreciate the serenity, but he had more pressing matters. As he marched down the walkways he kept his eyes peeled for a head of blonde hair amongst the Japanese tourists, but could see no sight of Caroline.

It was nearing sunset and as he continued meandering through the garden, he began to panic. What if she wasn't here? _Rome, Paris, Tokyo – _what came after this? If there was no resolution to be had, would she simply melt away, having led him on this chase for nothing? Not for the first time in the week that he'd been following her little clues did he start to wonder if this was all just a game to her, to make him chase her around the globe so that she could derive some amusement out of it. But still, that wasn't _ Caroline. _That wasn't her – then again, if he didn't find her soon…

"Took you long enough to show up."

Klaus snapped his head up, and whipped around to find the source of the musical voice. A little ways off there was a small koi pond, spanned by a small footbridge. And in the center of that bridge, silhouetted against the dying sunlight, was the figure of a young girl, blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, head bowed as she peered into the pond, hands clasped neatly in front of her. She wasn't looking up at him, but he knew she was well aware that he could hear her.

Klaus clenched his fists by his side to keep his hands from shaking, surprised at his own nervousness. He was over a thousand years old, and yet one baby vampire was reducing him to a nervous wreck. Slowly, he walked closer to her, taking in her appearance. She looked much the same as was expected, but she still seemed a little…older somehow. Not in any obvious way, but she held herself a little straighter, was a little more world-weary. From the moment he had realized Caroline had helped him in New Orleans, he had been so intent on finding her but now he stopped to wonder what exactly had happened to her in Mystic Falls that would result in her coming to New Orleans and actually helping him, only to leave so quickly.

'_Time for answers.'_

He stood next to her on the bridge, watching her closely while she watched the water. Neither said anything for a moment.

"Do you think this will ruin sushi for me?" Caroline asked suddenly.

"Sorry?" he asked, slightly bewildered.

"I mean, it's not that I think the fish are cute or anything, but I've been watching them for a while and I'm thinking if I go to a sushi bar now I'll just think I'm eating their cousin or something and-"

"Enough, Caroline!" he snapped suddenly, surprising even himself. He hadn't expected his first meeting with her in years to go like this, but then, he wasn't sure what exactly he had been expecting.

Caroline didn't seemed perturbed, but she finally lifted her head and looked him in the eye. He had been right about her being more hardened – some of her youthful joy was missing from her gaze. But underneath it all was the light he admired so much, and he knew that regardless of what her life had thrown at her, she was still the same Caroline.

"Hello Klaus," she said softly, a smile spreading across her face. "You can relax, I was joking. I thought things might be a little…"

"I know, Caroline," he replied. With a sigh, he wondered where he should start. "You helped me take New Orleans," he said. "You have to know how much I appreciated what you did. Thank you, sweetheart."

Her smile widened, and she blushed slightly. "Yeah well…don't mention it. Seriously," she added, shooting him a stern look, "_don't _mention it. To be honest, I'm not sure what I was thinking. I wanted to leave the whole 'constant war' thing behind."

"For what it's worth, you saved Sophie Devereux's life."

"I didn't – I didn't do it to save her life. I mean I'm glad she wasn't hurt in the end, but when I went looking for her – I was doing it to help you."

Klaus stared at her in awe and disbelief. Was it possible that after all this time, she was finally, _finally,_ ready to end their separation, give him a chance? "What happened these past few years, Caroline?" he asked gently, knowing she must have undergone some monumental changes to be here with him now, and judging by the way her face fell and sorrow crossed her features, he was right.

"Mystic Falls has been an interesting place," she said drily. "You missed a lot."

"I can believe that," he replied, then softened his tone. "Tell me what happened, Caroline."

She shook her head a little. "It's a long story. Suffice it to say, all hell broke loose. Silas…he took control. Between him and his crazy ex-fiancée, we were all just…collateral damage." Her voice was bitter now and she couldn't look him in the eye.

Klaus felt the pull of guilt. He had wanted nothing to do with Mystic Falls but the exile he had imposed on himself should never have resulted in a complete loss of contact from _her. _ "Caroline, did he kill…did you lose any –"

"My mom," she said quietly. "Silas got her. No, it's fine," she said, raising her hand to stop the condolence about to come out of his mouth. "It happened, and I grieved, and then I left. I couldn't stay in Mystic Falls anymore."

"So you came to New Orleans?" he asked, slightly anxious.

"I did – about six months ago."

Klaus balked. She had been so close to him for _six _months?! "Why didn't you ever seek me out?" he asked, almost desperately.

Caroline sighed and ran a hand through her golden curls. "I couldn't, okay?" I found you in the middle of this – this _war – _with some guy named Marcel and I couldn't just put myself into that life of battle after battle, constantly looking over my shoulder, waiting for the next attack! Besides…I managed to figure out the plan in the end."

Klaus couldn't help but be impressed at that, despite everything. "How did you piece it all together?" he asked, curious to know.

Caroline gave a light shrug and a sly smile. "You'd be surprised what people are willing to let slip when the only person around is a dumb blonde. Plus, I've gotten really good at sneaking around."

Unable to help himself, Klaus smile at her ingenuity, and motioned for her to continue.

"Like I said, helping Sophie was a snap decision. I guess we hadn't seen each other in so long that I thought it would be some a…gesture. Of good faith," she added nervously.

"Of course, Caroline, and you have my gratitude. But sweetheart, why run?" He gestured towards their beautiful surrounding. "What was the point?"

"Ah, I was hoping you'd ask," she said, confidence springing back. "See, while I was in New Orleans, I heard this interesting story about the mighty hybrid and a loophole of nature, a 'miracle' that should have been 'impossible'."

Klaus blanched, "You know about-"

"I know about Hayley," she confirmed, voice hardened. "You know, while you were promising to be my last love, you might've mentioned that."

"You have to know sweetheart, she was nothing more than a passing night – she meant nothing. And as for our child…"

"I know, Klaus," Caroline said, her voice considerably softer. She took a step towards him and laid a hand on his arm, squeezing it gently. "I'm so sorry. I was ready to leave, but when I heard about how _that _turned out… to be honest, I think I wanted Marcel dead myself. What he did…he deserved to die."

Klaus swallowed the lump in his throat, and let his gaze bore into hers, finding nothing but kindness and compassion. He laid his hands on her shoulders and trailed them down her arms, causing goose bumps to rise on her smooth skin. Once he reached her hands, he gripped them tightly. "So why didn't you come straight to me after it was done?" he asked.

She smiled sheepishly and ducked her head. "Okay, this is going to sound stupid – but after all that had happened I didn't know if you were still –if the offer still stood. God, why is this _difficult?!"_she asked, exasperated and Klaus couldn't help but chuckle at her. He picked up her hands and lifted them to her lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

"Go on love…I want to hear this," he said with a smirk. She rolled her eyes, but he didn't miss her light blush.

"I guess I wanted to see if you'd come –to see if you still cared. Besides, Rome, Paris, and Tokyo – those were the cities you once promised, right?"

"Yes, but the point was for _me _show them to you," he replied, slightly annoyed but he was teasing her. "Now that we're here, I trust I've passed your test?"

"I wasn't _testing_ you," she muttered, "but…yes. You passed with flying colours," she said coyly and gently pulled her hands away from his to wrap them around his neck. He grinned wolfishly and put his hands on her waist, tugging her close.

"You do realize love, that we could've have already have had months together?" he whispered, his breath ghosting over her face.

"Isn't that the point of eternity?" she replied. "Who cares about six months – we've got forever."

Her words were all he needed and before anything else could get in their way he dipped his head down and captured her lips in a fierce kiss. It was better than anything he had envisioned before, her lips were soft and warm, moving against his own with as much urgency as he felt. He nipped at her bottom lip and she gasped softly, allowing him to plunge his tongue into her mouth, deepening their kiss and delighting in the small moan that she gave. His hands gripped her waist tighter, pulling her impossibly close and he vaguely registered her hands entangled in the curls at the nape of his neck, tracing patterns on the skin of his neck.

It took them a few moments, but they eventually pulled away from each other, still wrapped up in each other's arms. "You know love, there's one thing I don't understand."

"Oh?" she asked, slightly dazed.

"Why did you take my painting?"

She giggled, "Right the painting…okay, I'll admit, that was petty. But it was beautiful and I didn't know if you were coming or not, and I kept thinking that you had your whole 'kingdom' with your family, and Hayley was still around-"

"_Caroline…" _he said teasingly, rolling his name off her tongue, and in that one word he knew that she understood exactly what he meant. No matter what, she was always the one for him.

"I've got the painting in my hotel room," Caroline explained. She pulled away from him slightly, and grabbed his hand, tugging him off the bridge and down the garden path towards the park's exit. "If you'd like, you could come back to my hotel room – see it for yourself?"

"Just the painting?" he asked, eyeing her body with a smug grin.

"Easy there, Big Bad Hybrid," she said over her shoulder. "Remember what I said? We've got forever."

_I may not evermore acknowledge thee,  
Lest my bewailed guilt should do thee shame,  
Nor thou with public kindness honour me,  
Unless thou take that honour from thy name:  
But do not so; I love thee in such sort  
As, thou being mine, mine is thy good report._

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**And there we go! Pretty please leave a review and let me know what you thought? In the meantime, I'm going to go listen to Klaus say Caroline's name for a couple hundred more times. **

**Good night!**

**(Feel free to follow me on Tumblr at hummingbirds-and-champagne)**


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